Vegas Casinos Ban Free Booze Policy, the World Reacts Badly

Everyone knows the best part about hitting the casino in Vegas is the free alcohol.

There you’ll be, putting pennies in your favourite slot machine or pretending you know to play Blackjack, when the cocktail waitress comes over and offers you any drink your little heart desires. Patron, Grey Goose, Veuve Cliquot? No problem.

It appears the all-you-can-drink scenario is coming to a dry end, thanks to a new tracking system that helps casinos figure out who of their gamblers is spending how much, according to the LA Times. This means that the waitress will know whether or not you are a high roller, and serve accordingly.

The first hotel to experiment with this (sadly) awesome technology is Caesar’s Palace. Their ‘comp validation system’ flashes a green light over video poker machines if – and only if – the player is spending a certain amount of dollars. The green light is a literal ‘go’ for the server to make his or her way (let’s be real, it’s almost always a ‘her’ in Vegas (rolls eyes)) to the customer with an offer of a drink.

Another version of this tracking system is also in existence at the MGM Grand and the Mirage, where machines print out liquor tickets based on how long you’ve been playing. Only when you have a ticket can you get yourself a free bevvie.

It seems like this trend is definitely catching on, and the situation can only get worse. So if you love a good Vegas trip, plan one now and get yourself some $0 drinks while the going’s still good.